A New Step
by Kairi the Strong
Summary: Sequel to A New Journey. A few years after he met Lillian, she has an important question to ask Dirk.


Sequel to A New Journey

…

Dirk grinned at the girl waiting by the tunnel entrance. Every Monday through Saturday that wasn't a festival, since the tunnel was finished, Lillian waited for him there. Before that, she'd climb the mountain with him. Today was no different. "Hey, Lily. Finished with work?"

She nodded, falling into step next to him. "Yeah, Tori, Natto, and Shine brought out the animals while I watered my crops, so I just had to grab the eggs and milk the cows." The farmer glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Say, Dirk…"

"Hmm?"

"… What's your family like? I mean, you've mentioned Ivan, and you had that request for that Kevin kid, but you've never really went into detail."

The mail-man was quiet, the pair passed a couple miners in silence. Dirk smiled softly. "Ivan was almost more of a parent than a brother. Our parent had died when I was really young, I don't remember them much. He cared about me, I know, but overbearingly."

Lillian smiled. "It's kinda cute, actually."

He glared at her. "It is not! Anyway, Ivan taught these twin girls in Zephyr, Cindy and Lauren. When he started, I thought that meant that he'd start treating me more like a brother, but he didn't. We fought a ton of times. He'd always sulk after, though, he thought he scolded me too hard."

"Did he?" Dirk rolled his eyes at his friend/girlfriend's curiosity.

"Nah." He was quiet for a moment, stopping to admire the view of the distant light in the tunnel. "Everything changed this one day, a while ago now. This girl, a farmer like you, moved to Zephyr. Ivan was taken by her immediately. Now he and Anita are married and my niece, Aria, is about seven now…"

"And Kevin?"

Dirk grinned, continuing down the tunnel. "Like I told you before, Kevin was a kid from Zephyr. He hung out with the twins a lot, a real trouble maker. Anita called us the 'Bug Catcher Duo'; it's what we did most of the time. Kevin was like a little brother to me, I spent most of my free time with him."

Lillian nodded. "I'd like to meet them one day. Especially if…" She trailed off, blushing bright red.

"Lily..?" The farmer shook her head violently. "I-it's nothing, Dirk. I'll tell you later…" She ran ahead of him into Bluebell, refusing to look back at the confused man.

…

Later that day, as Dirk was getting ready to leave, he came across Lillian pacing in front of Bluebell's shipping bin. He watched her for a few minutes before shaking his head. "Lil?"

She jumped, startled. There was an oddly familiar flash of blue as the farmer scrambled around. "D-Dirk! Hi!" She held out her hand uncertainly. There, in a death grip, was a blue feather.

"A Blue Feather?" Dirk asked, eyes wide in shock. "For me?" He blushed heavily. "H-hold on a sec, lets go find somewhere more private."

Lillian quickly led him up the mountain, to a small lake. Dirk looked at the girl seriously. "So I'm really the one you want to give the Blue Feather to?"

"Yeah, Dirk. I really, really do. I mean, I love you…"

"Wow…" Dirk laughed. "Lily, now I've got butterflies in my stomach for some reason. To be honest, though, I've been interested in you for a long time. I can be myself with you, y'know?" He hugged her tightly. "You giving me the blue feather and saying you love me… It really is the best. Though, Lillian…"

"What?" The farmer looked confused.

Dirk grinned. "I have to maintain my image, so here it goes. Lillian, will you marry me?"

She punched him in the shoulder. "Of course I will, stupid.

"Okay, then! We need to pick a day… How 'bout a week from now? Oh and I thought you might want to know this. Joan, the woman I used to work for, told me that women are really buy on their wedding days, so you might wanna get your work done before that, kay?"

"Yeah, no problem." She smiled happily at him, practically pulling him down the mountain to Konohana.

…

A week later, they were married. Dirk and Lillian had decided they would do like his brother had done, moved into his wife's home. Lily smiled happily at him before asking, "So, when do we go to meet your brother?"


End file.
